Drew Allar, receivers take center stage in first Penn State fall practice
It’s time once again for Penn State practice highlights. Make sure to subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube to get a breakdown of what we saw during the open portion of practice.
There’s no better place to start than with second-year quarterback Drew Allar. The second-year signal caller takes center stage on a team with big ten and college football playoff aspirations thanks to a talent-soaked defense and superstar running game. How things go in critical moments will rely on his right arm and the poise that Franklin spoke of at Big Ten Media days.
Allar looked good in practice, as you might expect when throwing on air.
Penn State offense
But it’s not Allar’s job just yet, according to the Penn State coaching staff. Competing with him for the starting job is fellow second-year passer, Beau Pribula. Pribual and Allar split the field on opposite sides of this drill, maximizing their reps.
Penn State’s practice on Wednesday had a serious and intense tone to it. The team seems to know what’s at stake and things got heated at times. No position signified that more than the wide receivers. The intense cauldron of competition roared to life as upwards of nine players are vying for a position in the two deep. KeAndre Lambert-Smith led the group but wasn’t the only player to stand out.
Third-year Penn State pass catcher Liam Clifford has seemed to take position coach Marques Hagans’ coaching and looks crisp running through drills. Franklin has mentioned that Clifford has the versatility to play multiple positions and should be a factor this fall. Wide receiver Malik McClain also showed off some toughness going through drills.
Second-year reciever Omari Evans has been a fast-rising player since this time last season and stood out once again with confidence and aggression. Another player showing improved confidence was Penn State redshirt freshamn Kaden Saunders. The fast receiver started his career slow but has seemingly turned a corner since the end of spring practice.
Finally, new transfer Dante Cephas was a reserved participant going through drills. He was one of the last scholarship players to go through the line, but that doesn’t mean he’s buried on the Penn State depth chart. The team mixed up the order quite a bit on Wednesday. He’s likely watching and learning in his first practice with his new team.
